Saving the world, one small step at a time.

5 Brands I’m Boycotting (And Why You Should Too)

We’ve all heard it before: you vote with your dollars. Every purchase you make is a vote for the type of world you want to live in: one run by corporations who use toxic chemicals and unethical labor practices, OR one run by people who use their purchasing power to support ethical businesses. There are a lot of companies out there that most of us already know are bad, but we might not know why, or exactly how bad. And when brands own a wide variety of products under different names, it can be difficult to tell when a well-known unethical brand is masquerading under a name that is less familiar. So, I did some research on some of the worst brands in the United States, and I chose five that I can reasonably commit to boycotting once and for all.

1. Kraft

Apart from oil companies, Kraft is consistently rated the worst company in the US.

5. Fast Fashion

Only two percent of apparel companies use suppliers who pay a living wage

Garment dyeing with toxic chemicals is the second largest water polluter worldwide

Harmful pesticides are used to grow the cotton

Fabrics like polyester shed plastic microfibers that get into the water supply and work their way up the food chain

Clothes end up in landfills, where synthetic fibers take decades to decompose

Which brands should be avoided?

Okay…this is a lot more than one brand, but it’s a conglomeration of brands like Forever 21, H&M, Zara, and many others that truly wreaking havoc on the planet. Basically if the price of the clothes seems to good to be true, it probably is.

Sources:

The Better World Handbook: Small Changes that Make a Big Difference, by Ellis Jones, Ross Haenfler and Brett Johnson

Hi! My name is Laura, and I believe that small, everyday actions can make a big difference. I created this blog as a way to stop making excuses and start making positive changes in the world. Join me, and together we can build a better planet.